US Government Interested to Support Healthcare Reform in Ukraine. A letter from Dr. Ulana Suprun

Ministry of Health of Ukraine,
Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, Dec 20, 2017

US Government Interested to Support Healthcare Reform in Ukraine. A letter from Dr. Ulana Suprun.

‘How can we assist you in implementing Healthcare Reform?’ was the first question my colleague, Pavel Kovtonyuk and I were asked during our meetings in the United States last week. The United States prioritizes healthcare reform domestically and also understands its importance in Ukraine.

In fact, U.S. officials were eager to participate in top-level meetings to discuss Ukrainian healthcare reform. Because of the Ukrainian government’s commitment to ensuring equitable, affordable and quality healthcare, it was easy to have an interesting dialogue about the reform in meetings with the National Democratic Institute and the Heritage Foundation think tank.

We also answered tough questions about healthcare reform during a visit to the National Security Council. NSC representatives shared the view that Ukraine's attitude to citizens’ health directly reflects the Government’s attitude towards overall national security. At a meeting with representatives of the State Department and USAID, we were assured of further support for the implementation of healthcare reform.

When meeting with U.S. Army Lieutenant General Nadja Y. West at the Pentagon, we exchanged views on current and future joint programs; in particular, technical and material assistance to the Ukrainian Army. I recommended establishing better communication with the Ministry of Defense regarding the Ukrainian Strategic Defense Bulletin, which requires harmonization of civilian and military healthcare, as well as ensuring equal access to quality healthcare services for both military officers and civilians. We agreed that it is important to explain how this has been implemented in other countries.

We described the single healthcare space project that we are currently implementing with the aid of the Coordination Center for Medical Services of the Defense Forces and other healthcare authorities. Lt. Gen. West noted this could serve as a reform model for other areas.

In addition, we emphasized the how the experience that Ukraine is earning in the war with Russia, should be retained and utilized in the future. The U.S. Army can also learn a great deal from us; both in battlefield medicine and modern military tactics that are now being used in this hybrid war.

Next, we met with World Bank representatives. The Bank has proven to be a reliable partner of Ukraine in improving health and general quality of life over the last three years. After the Verkhovna Rada’s approval of the health care reform legislation, our World Bank partners have a stronger commitment to continue cooperation.

Acknowledging the support of both the Ukrainian and international business community, we discussed deeper cooperation with the leadership of the US-Ukraine Business Council. At this meeting, we pointed out the important changes that are making Ukraine more open to foreign investment. Another important issue was an implementation of anti-corruption initiatives such as the Affordable Medicines Government Program, and the National Electronic Health Record system. According to U.S. health experts, both of these initiatives can be effective against healthcare corruption.

We will continue our cooperation in improving health and the quality of life in Ukraine and other countries in the world. We are especially grateful to our American partners for their strong support.

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